The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 47: The Girl Ranked First

Originally meant to protect the outstanding students of the Asra District and prevent them from being attacked, this unexpected move had also gathered the most gifted students of Asra District in one place.

When such a group gathered together, comparisons and scrutiny were inevitable. Sparring and exchanging skills became the most common activity during these days.

In fact, not only Sylutia, but also several other highly-ranked students had received various challenges. The combat training grounds inside Thunder Tower saw people sparring every single day.

After a week of continuous bouts and contests, this group of students finally settled down somewhat.

"So, this means our batch is the strongest." A student discussed with his companions in the restaurant.

"First place, Xinke, without dispute. Thirty battles, thirty victories."

"Second place, Hedra, also undefeated. Thirty-seven battles, thirty-seven victories. Although the two haven't fought each other, Hedra once said to others that she couldn't beat Xinke."

"She said so herself, and anyone who has seen Xinke fight others would come to the same conclusion."

"The spells Hedra uses, although her Spell Models are very complex with extremely fast reactions and ever-changing forms, are still within the Second Tier range, occasionally bursting with power equivalent to Third Tier."

"But Xinke is different. Once she unleashes the 'Sonic Bee Arrays,' twelve Second Tier 'Concerto Bees' join in resonance, erupting with power even stronger than an ordinary Third Tier mage. Plus, she has an all-directional protective spell. Maintaining that golden protective barrier, even if others attack with all their might, it would take several minutes to break. And as long as she launches a bit of offensive interference during that time, her opponent has no chance of victory."After he finished speaking, his tablemates nodded. Students at other tables who had eavesdropped were also curious and intrigued.

"But, is summoning same-tier 'Concerto Bees' in battle considered cheating? It always feels a bit unfair."

"Well, there have been discussions about that. The official standards are inconsistent. Some competitions have clear rules limiting the number, while others completely forbid it unless it's a life force-contracted creature."

"The problem is right there. Xinke possesses 'Golden Honey Blood.' According to the Inheritance Secret Technique of the ancient Golden Honey Dynasty, she can contract a large number of selected bees when she reaches Third Tier. As the queen of the swarm, she can easily gain blessings and feedback from these bees, while also granting them various power enhancements."

"The reason the Golden Honey Dynasty was so powerful back then was precisely this. Royal members could easily obtain the power amplification of the bee swarm, similar to the School of Royal Authority under the 'Castle' Aspect."

"However, after the Golden Honey Dynasty was destroyed by the Corona Dragon, the royal family on the Fifth Continent were all killed. Ironically, because they participated in the battle for the Luminous Moon Hour position on the Fourth Continent back then, remnants of the Golden Honey Dynasty's royal bloodline survived on our continent."

"Overly diluted Golden Honey Blood cannot gain the recognition and contract of the bee swarm, relying only on bloodline talent to learn the skills of worker bees and combat bees. To see a genius like Xinke with such high purity now is probably due to her bloodline awakening and reverting to pure ancestry by chance."

"Such talent and power are not replicable. Even if Xinke married someone else with 'Golden Honey Blood' and had children, it would be very difficult for her child to have such talent."

"If the Insect Moth Hour, the 'Blissful Bee Queen,' were still alive, restoring the glory of the Golden Honey Dynasty's bloodline would be a simple matter of a few years. But that Hour has already fallen. The Golden Honey Dynasty lost its protection and was abandoned by the current 'White Crown Dragon.' Restoring the bloodline is impossible."

A group of students discussed matters concerning the 'Golden Honey Dynasty.' In the Eighth Epoch, the Insect Moth Hour, the 'Blissful Bee Queen,' using the power of 'Insect Moth' and 'Scorching Sun,' suppressed the laws of 'Verdant Nectar,' preventing the Fairies from obtaining the position of the 'Verdant Nectar' Hour.

During the peak of the Golden Honey Dynasty, they not only controlled the Fifth Continent but also sent large numbers of 'Dawn Bee Knights' across the Sea of Clouds, expanding their influence to other continents. They interfered with the succession of the 'Luminous Moon' Hour on the Fourth Continent. As the domain of the 'Silver Moon Dragon,' the Hour position of the Fourth Continent should have been taken over by Meleranke, the founder of the Silver Radiance Church.

Unfortunately, this plan was interrupted by the Golden Honey Dynasty. After Meleranke's death, the Hour position was occupied by the immortal beast of the 'Nightmare' Path, the 'Fantasy Black Rabbit.' The massive effort and resources the Golden Honey Dynasty invested in the early stages were in vain. Subsequently, they could not suppress the resurrection of the 'White Crown Dragon,' who reclaimed the position of the 'Scorching Sun' Hour. This led to the collapse of the entire dynasty and its eventual destruction.

"Speaking of first and second place, what about third place? Any ideas?"

"Third place is hard to say. Everyone else has one or two losses, making it difficult to determine who is truly stronger. Among the top ten previously ranked by the instructors, excluding the top three—Xinke, Huadelin, and Hedra—the gap between the other seven is actually very small."

"Oh, by the way, there's been a dark horse recently. Or rather, someone who was overlooked before."

"Who is it?"

"Aurora·Helt. The young lady from the 'Opera School.' But it seems she doesn't want to enter the 'Opera School' of her own family and switched to studying the secret arts of the 'Puppet Shadow School,' which cost her a lot of time. If she had focused on the spells and abilities of the 'Opera School,' she should be ranked among the top now."

Inside Thunder Tower, combat training ground.

Aurora stood in her black and blue dress. She spread her hands, and ten threads extended from her fingertips. Tiny puppets danced, wielding sharp blades, clashing with the bees controlled by Xinke.

At the side of the training ground, Sylutia and Lovier stood together, watching the two fight.

"Aurora's manipulation of the little puppets is getting more and more skilled." Lovier clapped, cheering for Aurora inside.

Sylutia blinked, carefully observing the details and process of their battle. By now, Aurora had pushed herself to her limits, while her opponent Xinke always held back. She hadn't even fully activated the bees and the Aspects within her body, instead using this to hone her own precision and control.

Xinke would certainly win, but Aurora was not bad either. In a few years, once Aurora entered the Puppetry School and used same-tier puppets to compensate for her lack of power, it would be hard to say who was stronger between her and Xinke.

A few minutes later, Aurora finally gave up, conceding defeat. She walked off the field. Seeing this, Lovier ran over and hugged her.

"Aurora, it's okay. You were amazing! You'll definitely win next time."

Exhausted Aurora, hugged by Lovier's vibrant body, couldn't break free for a moment. She had no choice but to let Lovier hold her and slowly walk towards the resting area. By then, Xinke was already standing there talking with Sylutia.

The two were deeply engrossed in discussing the spells and abilities used in the match. They were both extraordinary geniuses, and many problems they discussed were solved with a single hint.

By the time Lovier pulled Aurora over slowly, the two had already finished one round of exchange.

Smiling, Sylutia greeted Aurora and Lovier, then helped gently massage Aurora's shoulders and arms. Afterwards, Xinke suggested they go to the 'Vanilla Herb Forest Restaurant' outside for lunch.

"Let me treat this time." One eye slightly closed, the other open, she raised a finger to her lips, a bit playfully.

"Don't refuse, or I'll be sad." After saying that, she smiled and pulled the three of them along as they walked out together.

Although she was ranked first, she was exceptionally cheerful and approachable, just like the girl next door.